The Road to Wisdom: Reflections on the First Year from Kappa Kappa Psi [WEST CLUB SECTION]Anthony Falcone, University of NebraskaNational Vice President Marco Krcatovich, Board of Trustees Member Dr. Malinda Matney, and Midwest District Governor Tony Falcone will host a panel discussion on The Road to Wisdom National Membership Education Program after its first year of implementation. Themes and issues that emerged through the year will be discussed, and there will be extensive Q & A time.

Culture-Building and Life Skills Education in the College Marching Band [EAST CLUB SECTION]Christopher Hoch, The Ohio State UniversityThis session will give tips on how to re-imagine or re-define the culture of your marching and athletic band program. Ideas will be presented in the context of the challenges faced by The Ohio State University Marching Band and the solutions to those challenges. Discussion will include the building of a cultural blueprint, the creation of a life skills education program, and the importance of transparency within the band, the university, and the community at large.

10:30-10:45 AM Break

10:45-11:30 AM Session 2

Revising the Traditional Pep-Band: Creating a Chamber Ensemble for the 21st Century [WEST CLUB SECTION]Jonathan Hinkle, Colorado Mesa UniversityThis session will discuss issues and modern strategies pertaining to the traditional pep-band ensemble, and how some programs are introducing changes to update this aspect of their complete band program with 21st Century trends. Techniques used can also better serve students’ current curricular needs, athletic event requirements, and community performance requests with more efficiency and effectiveness. This presentation will feature video examples from various groups around the US, including a recently started ensemble at Colorado Mesa University, to best showcase how a small, all-acoustic, highly mobile ensemble can be used in a wide variety of settings and for targeted recruiting. Handouts will include sample music, budget, schedules, instrumentation, set lists, performance diagrams, and show ideas.

Development Strategies for University Bands [EAST CLUB SECTION]Andrew West, The University of Texas at Austin (Scott Hanna, moderator)Andrew West, Principal Gifts Director for the UT College of Fine Arts, will discuss strategies for establishing, growing, and enhancing a development program for university bands.

Connecting With the Past to Enhance the Future: The Role of Alumni in University Athletic Bands [CENTER CLUB SECTION]Kevin Kessler, South Dakota State University (CBDNA Juried Presentation)
Alumni of college athletic bands are passionate about their Alma Mater. How can we channel that passion to the benefit of the current band and alumni alike? This session focuses on strategies to connect with, organize, and benefit from band alumni organizations.

2:30-3:00 PM Break

3:00-3:45 PM Session 4

Small Band Solutions to Athletic Band Music Licensing [WEST CLUB SECTION]Gary Westbrook, Tarleton State UniversityA discussion, with particular attention to efforts of small schools, on tackling challenges of music licensing.

The Power of Social Media: How a Partnership with CollegeMarching.com Sparked a Major Win for the ACC Bands [EAST CLUB SECTION]Mark Spede, Clemson University; Michael Barasch, CollegeMarching.comAfter Clemson and Miami were selected to attend the 2017 ACC Championship game the bands were notified of a major cut in performance time for pregame and halftime. They reached out to CollegeMarching.com to help bring attention to the issue and within 36 hours ACC officials were scrambling to get the bands back on the field. Mark Spede, Diretor of the Clemson Tiger Band, and Michael Barasch, Creator of CollegeMarching.com, will give you an inside look into how they were able to get the bands back on the field.

3:45-4:00 PM Break

4:00-4:45 PM Visit Exhibitors (Touchdown Club)

4:45 PM Shuttles begin running from Stadium to Hampton Inn, DoubleTree Suites (for those not travelling to The Salt Lick)

Small School Forum [WEST CLUB SECTION]Caroline Hand, Ball State University, moderator

Large School Forum [EAST CLUB SECTION]Amy Knopps, University of Missouri, moderator

9:45-10:00 AM Break

10:00-10:45 AM Session 6

From Competition to Exhibition: An Investigation of the Transition from High School to College Marching Band [CENTER CLUB SECTION]Jason Cumberledge and Amy Acklin, University of Louisville (CBDNA Juried Presentation)
The purpose of this study was to investigate students’ transition from high school to college marching band. 40 college marching band students at two universities were interviewed. Results of this study may help increase retention in college marching bands by helping band directors identify factors important to students as they contemplate joining a college marching band.=

10:45-11:00 AM Break

11:00-11:45 AM Session 7

Addressing Issues of LGBTQ Inclusion and Equality in Athletic Bands [CENTER CLUB SECTION]Greg Martin, West Chester University, moderatorAt the 2017 Athletic Band Symposium, we discussed the evolution of society resulting in a more accepting attitude toward gender/sexual expression. As a result, our students are feeling more comfortable being and expressing “who” they are. As directors, we are therefore challenged with regards to inclusivity and accommodations with regards to our ensembles, especially travel and housing. This session will review the letters in the expanded acronym for the LGBTQ community and differentiate between sexual identity and sexual orientation. The panel will then discuss issues faced in their programs, how they chose to address those challenges and provide examples of resources they utilized on their campuses to ensure all of their students felt safe and welcome in their ensembles.

Have you Considered the Marching Band?: Marching Band as a Recruiting Tool for Colleges and Universities [CENTER CLUB SECTION]Adrian Barnes, Rowan University (CBDNA Juried Session)
This case study was designed to investigate the frequency with which marching band directors at select institutions engage in the recruitment of student members of marginalized groups and to discover the most commonly employed strategies used by directors.

Amplifying a Band in a Large Stadium [WEST CLUB SECTION]Bruce Whisler, Clemson UniversityThere are some stadiums whose size and physical characteristics can result in a very large band lacking the sound level to adequately fill the space. While open-air stadiums do not suffer from the slap echo that is often heard in enclosed stadiums, they allow a lot of sound energy to escape and never reach the ears of fans in the stands. As a result, some universities have been using microphones to amplify their bands from their seating position in the stands, as Clemson University has been doing for several years.

Dreaming Big in a Small Place: The Genesis of a Marching Band [EAST CLUB SECTION]Matt Frederick, Emory & Henry CollegeA look into the beginning of a college marching band with an examination of its unique role and function for the college, from recruiting and retention, to revenue.